OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Moving a day closer to Sunday’s meeting with the New York Jets in Baltimore, the Ravens were again without Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata on Thursday.

Ngata hasn’t practiced in nearly two weeks as he continues to recover from a left knee injury sustained against the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 10. The defensive lineman missed his first game of the season last Sunday in Chicago and appears to be a question mark once again as the Ravens try to remain afloat in the AFC playoff race.

Coach John Harbaugh has declined to answer questions regarding Ngata’s status as the Ravens used a combination of Terrence Cody, DeAngelo Tyson, and rookie Brandon Williams at the nose tackle position against the Bears in Week 11. With Ngata’s absence leaving a major void in the middle of the defensive line, the Bears were able to rush for 104 yards in the 23-20 overtime victory at Soldier Field.

All other players were accounted for at practice as linebacker Daryl Smith (thigh) and cornerback Lardarius Webb (abs) were limited participants for the second straight day. Wide receivers Marlon Brown (knee) and Brandon Stokley (thigh) practiced fully.

Tight end Dennis Pitta (hip) was practicing for the second straight day, but the Ravens do not have to include him on the injury report since he remains on injured reserve with the designation to return.

Coach John Harbaugh moved up the start of Thursday’s practice to allow players to finish their workday earlier to get some extra rest. The Ravens have a quick turnaround for next week’s game as they will play Pittsburgh on Thanksgiving night, roughly 100 hours after the conclusion of Sunday’s contest against the Jets.

Meanwhile, the Jets downgraded the status of tight end Kellen Winslow (knee) as he sat out practice a day after working on a limited basis. Linebacker Garrett McIntyre (knee) and wide receiver David Nelson (illness) also missed practice while wide receiver Santonio Holmes (foot/hamstring) was limited after failing to practice on Wednesday.

We pride ourselves about a number of things here at WNST. As Drew Forrester has documented recently, our local sports coverage is second to none. We’ve defined the term “local” over our 15 years of history, and part of that is our responsibility to our local community.

That continues every holiday season, as we commit to taking care of those who need it most in this area. We’ve already collected over 1,000 canned goods to support SARC in Harford County, and we’re going to go out with a bang tonight.

We’ve sweetened the pot over the last couple of days. Anyone who brings us 10 cans or more tonight will also pick up a great prize. For example:

Ravens WR Marlon Brown and OT Eugene Monroe spent Tuesday night signing this bag of footballs (Thanks to Freedmont Mortgage for the balls), some signed by both-some signed by one of the guys individually. Bring me 10 or more cans and you get one.

Also, big thanks to 24×7 Entertainment, who have donated tickets to see Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime January 4th at Rams Head Live as well as Monster Magnet December 8th at Baltimore Soundstage. Also thanks to The Modell Performing Arts Center at The Lyric, who have donated tickets to a bunch of their upcoming shows. 10 cans would also allow you to pick from those.

At 50 cans you can pick two prizes (a pair of tickets constitutes a prize). At 75 you can pick three.

On top of all of that, Thursday night will simply be a great chance to just hang out-BS about Baltimore sports and ask your favorite WNST personalities those questions you think we’re not allowed to talk about on the radio. We’ll have the Falcons/Saints game on as well and we’ll probably end up bending a few back.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens received good news Wednesday with tight end Dennis Pitta’s return to the practice field, but Pro Bowl nose tackle Haloti Ngata remained sidelined with a left knee injury.

After missing Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears, Ngata was absent as the Ravens cranked up preparations for the New York Jets. The defensive lineman missed all three practices last week and was ruled inactive last Sunday, missing his first game of the 2013 season.

Coach John Harbaugh declined comment on the decision to hold Ngata out following Sunday’s game and would not reveal whether the weather conditions at Soldier Field contributed to the eighth-year defensive tackle being held out.

“I’m not getting in to all that. There’s no reason for us to put that out there publicly,” Harbaugh said during his Monday press conference. “What advantage would there be for us to comment on that? It wouldn’t help us. But, I appreciate you asking. I understand why you do. It’s fair, in all honesty. I just don’t want to put that out there right now.”

Linebacker Daryl Smith (thigh) and cornerback Lardarius Webb (abs) were both limited participants on Wednesday after both players missed practice time last week before playing against the Bears.

Rookie wide receiver Marlon Brown (knee) was a full participant after missing Sunday’s game as the poor field conditions were a factor in the decision to rule him inactive.

As announced earlier in the day, tight end Dennis Pitta (hip) took part in practice, playing catch and running routes at half-speed during the portion of practice open to reporters. The Ravens are not required to list Pitta on the injury report since he is not currently on the 53-man roster.

Pitta’s return to practice triggers the start of a 21-day window in which he can work with the team before a decision must be made on his roster standing. If the Ravens do not place Pitta on the active roster at the end of the three-week period — they may activate him sooner, of course — he must remain on injured reserve for the rest of the season.

“It’s impossible to say, really,” said Harbaugh when asked about a timetable for Pitta’s return to live-game action. “Withing getting ahead of ourselves here, as soon as possible. But safety is No. 1 and his ability to perform out there are the two factors in that.”

For the Jets, wide receiver Santonio Holmes (foot/hamstring) and linebacker Garrett McIntyre (knee) did not participate in Wednesday’s practice.

CHICAGO — Weather will play a major factor on Sunday as the Ravens travel to Soldier Field in Chicago looking to improve to 5-5 and improve their standing in the AFC playoff picture.

With intense storms, winds averaging 25-30 miles per hour with gusts upwards of 50, and a tornado watch in the forecast Sunday afternoon, both teams will likely need to lean on their respective running games with Chicago possessing the league’s 15th-ranked rush offense. Meanwhile, the Ravens’ dramatic struggles in running the ball have been well documented, but the Bears are ranked 31st against the run and have allowed 129.4 yards per game on the ground this season.

The Ravens will be without two key starters as defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and wide receiver Marlon Brown were both ruled inactive prior to kickoff. Ngata sprained his left knee in last Sunday’s win over the Bengals and missed practice all week despite suiting up and making an appearance at the beginning of Friday’s practice. Terrence Cody and Brandon Williams will be leaned upon to play a more significant role at the nose tackle position in Ngata’s absence.

Brown’s deactivation leaves the Ravens with just four active receivers for Sunday’s game, and 6-foot-5 rookie will be missed in the red zone. His absence will likely lead to more opportunities for Tandon Doss and Deonte Thompson in the passing game.

For the Bears, tight end Martellus Bennett (ankle) is active and will start, but starting defensive end Shea McClellin (hamstring) is inactive after being listed as doubtful on Chicago’s final injury report of the week.

Sunday’s referee will be Gene Steratore.

The Ravens are wearing white jerseys with black pants while Chicago is donning dark blue throwback jerseys with white pants.

The all-time series between these teams is tied 2-2 with the Ravens winning the last meeting in Baltimore back in 2009. However, the Bears are 2-0 against the Ravens at Soldier Field with victories in 1998 and 2005.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata was missing from practice for the second straight day as the Ravens continued preparations for the Green Back Packers on Thursday.

Practicing inside with steady rain falling at their Owings Mills facility, the Ravens were without their starting nose tackle again as the 29-year-old continues to recover from a hip issue. There have been no indications that the ailment is serious and no injury was reported in the aftermath of Sunday’s game in Miami, so it will be interesting to see whether the standout defensive lineman is able to log some practice time on Friday to quell concerns surrounding his status against the Packers.

Defensive tackle Terrence Cody (knee) and linebacker Albert McClellan (shoulder) were also absent from Thursday’s practice as Cody appears likely to miss his third straight game since being injured in the first quarter of the Ravens’ Week 3 win over the Houston Texans on Sept. 22. McClellan played against Miami despite missing practices all last week and continues to rehab his injured shoulder.

The Ravens saw the return of rookie offensive lineman Ryan Jensen to practice for the first time since he broke his foot during the first week of training camp in late July. The sixth-round pick from Colorado State-Pueblo is regarded as an intriguing prospect at center who could provide good interior line depth, a reason why the Ravens elected to keep him on the 53-man roster all this time.

Wide receivers Jacoby Jones (knee), Marlon Brown (hamstring), and Brandon Stokley (groin) all practiced on Thursday after being limited participants a day earlier. Along with several other teammates, Jones was sporting pink cleats and pink gloves to break them in for Sunday’s game in which the Ravens will celebrate breast cancer awareness in addition to sporting their alternate black jerseys.

Starting left guard Kelechi Osemele (back spasms) was practicing for the second straight day and appears to be a good bet to play against Green Bay as long as he doesn’t suffer a setback.

Though he remains on injured reserve with the designation to return later this season, tight end Dennis Pitta played catch with quarterback Joe Flacco during the opening portion of practice and appeared fairly mobile as he did last week while catching balls from the Jugs machine. Flacco joked with his close friend and teammate at one point, asking if he was ready to come back yet.

According to coach John Harbaugh, Pitta has been running on the treadmill and is making great progress, but his return is still considered “a ways away.”

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Faced with the challenge of the Green Bay Packers coming to Baltimore on Sunday, the Ravens are cautiously optimistic to find themselves healthier this week than they’ve been at any point since the start of the season.

Starting left guard Kelechi Osemele (back spasms) returned to the practice field on a limited basis after he was sidelined for most of this past Sunday’s win over the Miami Dolphins. The second-year lineman said prior to Wednesday’s practice that a soft hotel bed was a factor in the back spasms he developed during pre-game warmups that forced him out of the game after the first offensive series.

Defensive tackles Haloti Ngata (hip) and Terrence Cody (knee), linebacker Albert McClellan (shoulder), and offensive lineman Ryan Jensen (foot) did not participate in Wednesday’s practice. Ngata’s hip injury wasn’t reported after last Sunday’s game, so there’s a fair possibility that Wednesday was more of a day of rest than any serious condition.

Ngata took part in 35 of 58 defensive snaps, which wasn’t an unusual number considering how much Miami was throwing the football.

Wide receiver Brandon Stokley wasn’t spotted during the portion of practice open to the media but was listed as a limited participant on Wednesday’s injury report after the Ravens re-signed him to the 53-man roster on Tuesday. Stokley has been dealing with a groin injury for nearly two weeks and hasn’t played since the Ravens’ Week 3 win over the Texans on Sept. 22.

Wide receiver Jacoby Jones was back on the practice field after being ruled inactive for the fourth straight game last Sunday. The Pro Bowl return specialist eased his way back into practices last week and plans to step up his participation level this week in hopes of playing in a game for the first time since suffering a sprained right MCL in the season opener on Sept. 5.

“I’ve been like a punished child that can’t go outside and do anything,” Jones said of his time rehabilitating the injury. “You sit in your house and keep begging your mama, ‘Please, let me go outside. I want do it again!’ I just want to get out there and play.”

Wide receiver Marlon Brown (hamstring) and defensive tackle Marcus Spears (knee) also returned to practice on Wednesday after being sidelined for Week 5.

New left tackle Eugene Monroe expressed optimism that he’ll be ready to make his Ravens debut at M&T Bank Stadium against the Packers after spending long days and nights absorbing the Baltimore playbook. Monroe was ruled inactive for the Miami game after he was only able to log two days of practice time upon the trade from Jacksonville being officially completed last Thursday.

The fifth-year tackle revealed he even spent some time at the team’s Owings Mills facility during his day off on Tuesday to go over plays with starting center Gino Gradkowski.

“It’s been a grind, but it’s part of the job,” Monroe said. “It’s also been fun integrating into a new system like this. It’s definitely different, especially not playing next week. That’s just part of the deal here and I’m ready to go now.”

Meanwhile, incumbent left tackle Bryant McKinnie was largely an observer during offensive line work during the portion of practice open to the media, a strong indication that Monroe is expected to take his spot in the starting lineup beginning this Sunday.

The Ravens are in much better shape health-wise than Green Bay as starting linebackers Clay Matthews (thumb) and Brad Jones (hamstring) and running back James Starks (knee) have already been ruled out for Sunday’s game.

Hoping to win their first road game of the 2013 season, the Ravens look to put the bad taste of last week’s loss in Buffalo behind them as they take on the 3-1 Miami Dolphins.

However, they’ll have to do it while being severely undermanned at the wide receiver position as Jacoby Jones (knee) and Marlon Brown (hamstring) were both ruled inactive for Sunday’s game. It wasn’t surprising to see Jones held back for another week after just returning to the practice field from an MCL sprain that’s sidelined him since the season opener, but Brown appeared to be moving well during Friday’s practice and told reporters he was feeling good after the workout.

Couple those inactives with Saturday’s release of veteran wideout Brandon Stokley and the Ravens were down to just three active wide receivers on Sunday as Torrey Smith, Deonte Thompson, and Tandon Doss are available. Thompson sustained a concussion in the Week 4 loss in Buffalo but was cleared over the weekend to make his return.

The Ravens also decided to deactivate newly-acquired left tackle Eugene Monroe after only two days of practice time in Owings Mills. It was always going to be a major stretch for the fifth-year lineman to absorb enough of the playbook to be able to start against the Dolphins, but coach John Harbaugh had left the door open for the former Jaguars lineman to play in Miami if he felt comfortable enough with his preparation over the weekend.

This means veteran left tackle Bryant McKinnie will start against a Dolphins defensive front that will include returning defensive end Cameron Wake, who was out last week with a knee injury.

The good news for the Ravens is that cornerback Lardarius Webb is active after missing most of last week’s game against the Bills after tweaking his hamstring in the first half. Rookie linebacker Arthur Brown (pectoral strain) is also active and will make his return following a two-week absence due to injury, which should help the Baltimore pass defense.

The Ravens are 3-5 in the all-time regular-season series with the Dolphins and are 1-4 in Miami, which doesn’t include their two postseason wins at Sun Life Stadium. Baltimore won the last meeting between these teams in 2010, a 26-10 final at M&T Bank Stadium.

The referee for Sunday’s game will be Carl Cheffers.

The forecast calls for temperatures in the mid-80s with a slight chance of isolated thunderstorms in Miami.

The Ravens will be wearing purple jerseys with white pants while Miami will go with an all-white look for Sunday’s game.

Here are Sunday’s inactives:

BALTIMORE

WR Jacoby Jones

WR Marlon Brown

T Eugene Monroe

NT Terrence Cody

OL Jah Reid

C Ryan Jensen

DE Marcus Spears

MIAMI

QB Pat Devlin

RB Mike Gillislee

CB Dimitri Patterson

CB Will Davis

LB Josh Kaddu

G Danny Watkins

G Dallas Thomas.

Follow WNST on Twitter throughout the afternoon for updates and analysis as Nestor Aparicio brings live coverage from Sun Life Stadium in Miami.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens were making final preparations for the Miami Dolphins on Friday and listed a total of nine players as questionable on the final injury report of the week including cornerback Lardarius Webb and wide receiver Jacoby Jones.

Webb and wide receivers Deonte Thompson and Marlon Brown were listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report after they missed practices on Wednesday and Thursday while recovering from injuries sustained last Sunday, but they all worked on a limited basis in the final full workout of the week. Webb sat out the second half against the Bills after suffering a hamstring injury but was doing some backpedal work and riding the stationary bike during the portion of practice open to media.

“Very encouraging [to have them back at practice],” coach John Harbaugh said. “It was good to see those guys out there, and [it] made for a better practice, too.”

Also dealing with a hamstring injury all week, Brown was doing plenty of running and appeared to be moving well during the special-teams part of practice. The rookie wideout said he felt good with the hamstring following Friday’s practice.

Jones (knee) was present and working for the third straight day of practice after being sidelined since Sept. 5 with a right MCL sprain, but the Pro Bowl return specialist was noncommital regarding his status against the Dolphins.

“I don’t know. I’ll leave it up to the trainers and the coaches,” Jones said. “You’re trying to get me in trouble with John Harbaugh — I can’t answer that question. I’m trying to ease the process [of coming back].”

Thompson was on the field for the first time since sustaining a concussion in the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s game, but he was suited up and participating during the special-teams portion of practice. Harbaugh said after practice that Thompson had passed the concussion protocol test, but he hadn’t yet been fully cleared for Sunday’s game.

In addition to those four, wide receiver Brandon Stokley, linebackers Arthur Brown and Albert McClellan, defensive lineman Marcus Spears, and running back Shaun Draughn were all designated as questionable to play in Sunday’s game.

The Ravens were without five players during the opening portion of Friday’s workout as Stokley (groin), Spears (knee), McClellan (shoulder), defensive tackle Terrence Cody (knee), and offensive lineman Ryan Jensen (foot) weren’t participating. Stokley had practiced on a limited basis all week after being inactive for Week 4, and Spears appeared on the injury report for the first time on Thursday after he walked off the field gingerly at the start of practice.

Cody and Jensen were both listed as doubtful on the Friday injury report and aren’t expected to play in Miami.

The Dolphins listed standout defensive end Cameron Wake (knee) as questionable for Sunday’s game after he practiced on a limited basis all week. Former Ravens linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (knee) is probable against his former team.

As for the status of newly-acquired left tackle Eugene Monroe, Harbaugh said they haven’t made any decision in terms of his availability to play against the Dolphins. The 26-year-old stayed at the team’s Owings Mills facility late into the night on Thursday to work with the offensive line staff in hopes of getting up to speed as soon as possible, according to Harbaugh.

“The main thing is how he feels about it, if he feels confident that he can execute,” said Harbaugh, who acknowledged not being sure what the realistic timetable is to get Monroe on the field for the Ravens. “The good thing is he know what it’s like to play. If he gives us feedback, and he says he’s comfortable and can go, I would think we’d be very confident that he knows what he’s talking about.”

An encouraging sign for the Ravens during Friday’s practice was the presence of Dennis Pitta, who was catching passes from the Jugs machine. The fourth-year tight end was dressed in a T-shirt and shorts and was able to twist his body as he caught passes from the machine, but he did not do any jogging or running during the session.

Pitta remains on injured reserve with the designation to return, making him eligible to return to practice after the first six weeks of the regular season and to play in games after eight weeks. However, it is not believed that Pitta would be able to return until later in the season after he dislocated his hip on July 27, an injury that forced him to undergo immediate surgery.

“I’m pretty impressed,” Harbaugh said. “He’s running quite a bit on these machines, and he’s out here catching passes. [A potential return] is a ways away, time-wise. Every time I see Dennis, I guess I have mixed emotions. I’m happy that he’s doing well, and I’m not happy that he’s not already out there playing right now. He’s doing a good job.”

The referee for Sunday’s game between the Ravens and Dolphins will be Carl Cheffers.

The forecast in Miami calls for temperatures in the mid-80s with a 30 percent chance of isolated thunderstorms.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — There was only one change to the Ravens’ injury report for Thursday, but it wasn’t good news as they continued preparations for Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins.

Cornerback Lardarius Webb (hamstring) and wide receivers Marlon Brown (hamstring) and Deonte Thompson (concussion) were absent from practice for the second straight day, but defensive tackle Marcus Spears (knee) was added to the injury report as a non-participant after he appeared to be dealing with a knee injury during the portion of the workout open for media viewing. Spears walked off the field without the assistance of a trainer, but it was unclear whether he had tweaked his knee or was dealing with soreness while attempting to go through positional drills.

Wide receiver Jacoby Jones (knee) was practicing on a limited basis for a second straight day as he continues to work his way back to 100 percent from an MCL injury suffered in the season opener on Sept. 5.

Meanwhile, Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake (knee) and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe practiced on a limited basis on Thursday, but it remains unclear whether Wake will return to action against the Ravens.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Sidelined since the season opener with an MCL sprain of his right knee, Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones returned to the practice field on Wednesday for the first time in nearly a month.

The 29-year-old practiced on a limited basis as he took part in his first workout since suffering the knee injury against the Denver Broncos in Week 1. It remains unclear whether Jones will be ready to return to game action this weekend as the Ravens travel to Miami to take on the 3-1 Dolphins, but it’s another step in regaining a valuable piece of the team’s offensive puzzle.

“Having more guys available is going to impact everybody’s number of snaps,” said coach John Harbaugh when asked how Jones’ return might affect the playing time of rookie Marlon Brown and other younger receivers. “Hopefully, we can use all those guys in really positive ways and improve our offense.”

Wide receiver Brandon Stokley (groin) practiced in a limited capacity after missing Sunday’s game in Buffalo, but Brown (hamstring) and second-year receiver Deonte Thompson (concussion) were non-participants on Wednesday. Harbaugh provided a favorable report on all three players Monday, so it’s believed that Brown and Thompson have a reasonable chance of playing in Week 5 if they can log some practice time before week’s end.

Less than 24 hours after news broke of the Ravens’ trade for Jacksonville left tackle Eugene Monroe in exchange for fourth- and fifth-round picks, incumbent tackle Bryant McKinnie was practicing despite a report from The Sun of the organization potentially seeking a trade of the 34-year-old lineman. The trade for Monroe hadn’t officially been completed for the 26-year-old to practice on Wednesday, leaving his status against Miami up in the air.

“We’ll see as we go. Obviously, we’re bringing Eugene in to play,” Harbaugh said. “How soon that can happen remains to be seen. The main thing is it makes us better.”

As expected, safety Jeromy Miles (hamstring) and rookie inside linebacker Arthur Brown (pectoral strain) were both present and working during Wednesday’s practice. Both participated in all practices last week but were ruled inactive in the loss to Buffalo.

For the Miami Dolphins, linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (knee) and defensive end Cameron Wake (knee) were limited participants. Wake did not play in the Dolphins’ Week 4 loss to New Orleans and is regarded as one of the best pass rushers in the NFL.